Time?

King first began to feel anxious. Did she really leave? Even though he had already searched every inch of his quarters, he did it again as his heart raced with panic.

She did not... She wouldn't abandon him, would she?

King closed his eyes, concentrated on her because he didn't want to believe it, and soon darkness began to crackle in the air and spread across the palace as it frantically looked for Ivy. He simply needed to sense her to find her because his darkness identified her as his mate.

As it was already late in the evening, the darkness seemed to overflow out of him. He didn't realize the markings on his skin had a faint golden hue.

Thirty minutes passed and his eyes opened. She was nowhere on the palace grounds! Although she had mentioned she would leave him if he hurts her, he didn't think she'd actually leave him.

With a trembling hand, he summoned Zaar and Noreen. When they both saw flickering madness in his, they tensed. “Your Maj—”

“Where is the princess?” he cut t